Field Trips

Forests. Trails. Animals.

The ideal field trip. Just add kids.

Imagine your students wide-eyed at a moose. Nose-to-nose with a gray wolf. Burning off steam in a rope tunnel. Filled with a passion for frogs.

Bring your class on a field trip to Northwest Trek and you’ll get:

A tram tour around our Free-Roaming Area with elk, bison and more
Walking tours to see cougar, bears, wolves and others
Daily Keeper Chats
Plenty of covered picnic tables, plus a cafe
Our nature-based playground Kids’ Trek for after lunch

All the details

Field Trip Prices

Sept-Feb: $8 per student and adult chaperone

March-April: $9 per student and adult chaperone

May-June: $11 per student and adult chaperone

Adventure Trek

Adventure Trek Program

These formal presentations are designed to provide students with information to support classroom learning and align with WA State Science Standards. Each program includes professional instruction and an interactive learning experience at Northwest Trek.

Multiple programs may be scheduled for the same day, but we are unable to offer simultaneous programming. Adventure Trek programs will take place outdoors, weather permitting and will last 30-45 minutes, depending on group size and weather.

Reservations are required and spaces fill quickly.

Introduction to Nature Mapping

Students learn the basic process of observation and data collection. All students will be given an opportunity to look for wildlife, practice recording data, and learn how their action impact the world around them. Activities can be adjusted to accommodate grade level and class size. Programs run 30-45 mins depending on class size.

Grades: K-12

Fee: $45/session

Number: maximum 30 per group

Wild Escape (coming soon!)

An escape-room style outdoor program that gets students learning and collaborating on animal adaptations, environmental relationships and our role in protecting the wild.

Your mission: Meet with a naturalist to get your mission details. Break into teams to explore Northwest habitats, observe animals, read and discuss – then answer questions to unlock a series of boxes, each with a clue to the next part of the mission and the final solution.

Grades: 3-12

Fee: $55/program

Number: up to 60 students

Also: Chaperone participation is required

NGSS: Wild Escape meets the following Next Generation Science Standards.

3-LS3-2 (LS3.A, LS3.B), 3-LS4-2, 3-LS4-3, 3-LS4-4 (LS2.C)
4-LS1-1, 4-LS1-2, 4-ESS2-1 (ESS2.E), 4-ESS3-2
5-LS2-1 (LS2.A), 5-ESS3-1
3-5-ETS1-2
MS-ESS2-2 (ESS2.C), MS-ESS3-3 (ESS3.C)
HS-LS2-1 (LS2.A), HS-LS2-2 (LS2.A, LS2.C), HS-LS2-6, HS-LS4-4 (LS4.C), HS-LS4-5, HS-LS2-7 (LS2.C), HS-ESS2-2, HS-ESS2-7, HS-ESS2-7 (ESS2.E), HS-ESS3-1, HS-ESS3-3 (ESS3.C)

Know Before You Go

Numbers

Northwest Trek offers discounted admission for students and parent chaperones on official school field trips. We require a minimum of 15 people.

Hours

Please check out the park’s opening hours before you book a trip. Note: we are closed Monday-Thursday from early October to mid-March.

Chaperones

Northwest Trek allows teachers to include an unlimited number of parent chaperones in the reservation process. These chaperones must be included in your final payment. The minimum requirement for all visiting schools, including high schools, is one adult chaperone for every seven (7) students.
Additional non-discounted tickets may be purchased day of at the front gate but additional tram seating is based on availability. If additional tickets are needed after final payment is made please call our reservations office at 360-832-7166.

Making a Reservation

Complete the online school group reservation form at least twenty (20) days prior to your tour date.
You cannot use coupons, complimentary passes, or memberships to Northwest Trek or Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium with your reservation.
Final head count and full payment is required fourteen (14) days prior to your tour date.
We accept single checks, Visa, Master Card, American Express or Discover credit cards, and purchase orders (will be billed in advance upon receipt).
We will mail you a confirmation letter, along with admission ticket wristbands, once your payment is processed.
There are no refunds once payment has been processed.
We do not accept reservations on special event days or holidays.

The Day of Your Visit

Everyone in your reserved group must wear an admission ticket wristband prior to arriving at the gate.
Please line up single file so we can check you in when everyone has arrived.
You must arrive at the tram tour station at least 15 minutes before your scheduled tram tour time. Please allow ample time to arrive at the park, go through check-in and use the restrooms.
If your group misses its scheduled time, we will try to reschedule you on the next available tram tour – but we cannot guarantee a tour.
Teachers must ride the tram tour with their students.
Chaperones must to stay with and supervise their assigned students at all times while visiting the park.

Virtual Field Trips

Wildlife inside your classroom.

Can’t come to Northwest Trek? We’ll bring Trek to you! Book a 45-minute Virtual Field Trip video conference and watch your students get inspired by nature to think like scientists.

Taught by a naturalist, the trips use the Zoom platform to go behind the scenes and talk with the keepers who look after our animals, meeting current science standards in a compelling way.

Virtual Field Trips

Ready?

Let's do this!

Book your field trip